I kicked'em out!!

[Petej]

Yep, my adult Coturnix are now back outside.

I wasn't worried the first night, since it was only slated to be in the forties overnight. so I didn't bother with the heat lamp, just the christmas lights in the hutch (which get surprisingly warm inside the house) The Weatherman was WRONG!!!! I had to deice the cars the next morning!

I checked on them fearing the worst

, only to find the best! All six, alive, chirping and they even made me three eggs!

So on goes the next day (today), only I forgot to plug in the lights last night...

all six again, even with freezing weather, alive, chirping and again three more eggs!

Whew! I guess I did a good job with acclimatising them before I put them out! The house is kept at around 55-60 degrees. So that probably helped.

So here they are in their new area. In the wood shed, about 12 feet from their old pen, which now houses two of the rabbits.....

It's fully under cover, with little/no wind at all. even if it did get rained on, the roof of the hutch is shingled, so they would stay dry.

There new home! In the wood shed, pretty much in the corner. No wind or rain in this corner, unlike the old pen....

Unfortunately while moving the Hutch back outside, I broke the leg that I had originally repaired to make the hutch usable....

Back under went the bucket.....

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

buckets make sturdy legs!

Nice birds!

 

[Petej]

mr. birdaholic :

buckets make sturdy legs!

Nice birds!

You know, that bucket makes a far more sturdy leg than the spindly things they used on that hutch!

Thank you on the birdies! I'll let them know!

They actually seem happier outside.

Best part is, the house doesn't stink anymore! Man, do they get to stinkin'!

 

[joe125]

Well Petej. 40 deg. F. ain't nothing to a fully feathered adult coturnix. Is that all you got? Down to 12 deg. F..

Yup, both birds and humans are way more happy when the birds are outside.

Unless you need a light to keep them laying, then I would retire it. From the looks of your setup, I would say...Get rid of the chickens, and you are good to go!

 

[Petej]

The chickens get to stay. They make more money for us then the Quail.

Though if I could figure out how to ship the Coturnix eggs, I would definitely sell them as hatching eggs. Literally every one I've cracked, is fertile.....

The lights are mostly retired. I only use them now if I want some extra light. The corner where the are is kinda dark....


We got to 25 last night, in fact, the Roo was crowing in the cold!

It;s 3AM and I just got home from work, I bid you all a good night.

 

[joe125]

I was just kidding about the chickens.

I ship coturnix eggs in a TP lined chuckar flat, with bubble wrap on top, secured with a piece cardboard on top by rubber bands. That's just how I do it.

 

[Petej]

Quote:
Hmmm..... I may have to do that!

I need some fresher eggs first. I have five dozen that over over a week old, so I don't want to send them. They will end up hard-boiled, then pickled.....

Going out feed the Flock now that I have some energy. My kids passed me their Cold virus.....